Once again, All-Energy the UK’s largest renewable and low carbon energy exhibition and conference, plays home to a day-long conference track on sustainable and smart cities, and the steps being taken to decarbonise them. This track, taking place on 2 May is sponsored by Shepherd and Wedderburn All-Energy’s Headline Sponsor. The following day, there is a day-long Quick Fire Seminar Theatre programme dedicated exclusively to energy efficiency. There’s also a networking event especially for local government officials. Free registration for the exhibition, conference and Giant Networking Evening is online at www.all-energy.co.uk

Following the opening plenary session with the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon amongst the speakers, the thought-provoking Sustainable Cities session ‘Are we there yet? Green infrastructure and New World thinking’ session will be held from 11:00 until 12:30.

It aims to answer three key questions:

Ever wondered why this part of the energy sector has not made the dramatic progress that everyone was anticipating five years ago?

The imperative is to decarbonise our cities - so why have we not seen the seismic shift to undertake large scale projects which will provide cleaner, warmer and more energy efficient cities for the people who live there?

Is the UK too wedded to its ideas of what a sustainable city project should be, how it should be structured, how it should be funded, what partnering looks like?

“The panel will seek to challenge the current thinking and will explore if lessons can be learned from models developed in the USA, and what needs to happen in the UK to accelerate the market,” explains the chair of the session, Clare Foster, Partner and Head of Clean Energy, Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP.

“The panel comprises people who are passionate about sustainability and who are keen to drive forward this market and create a tangible project pipeline – the session is aimed at public sector decision makers, developers, supply chain, investors and funders – join us and get involved in the debate!” she urges.

Following the session a ‘by invitation’ networking reception will be held for local authority officials eager to meet suppliers on a 1-2-1 basis.

Energy efficiency after lunch

Energy efficiency comes under the conference spotlight in the early afternoon. Under the chairmanship of Professor Karen Turner, Director of the Centre for Energy Policy, ‎University of Strathclyde, the programme comprises five presentations:

Scottish Government Energy efficiency policy – Lynn Forsyth, Head of SEEP Delivery Team and Andrew Robinson, Head of HEEPS Area Based Scheme, The Scottish Government

One month on from MEES… what have we learnt? - Stephen Preece, Business Development Director, arbnco

On day 2 of the show, there will be 17 presentations in the Energy Efficiency Quick Fire Seminar Theatre (operational 10:30-15:30) on the exhibition show floor on a wide range of highly relevant topics. https://bit.ly/2r0h1xM

Smart and sustainable cities

The final session of the sustainable and smart cities track is ‘Challenges, opportunities and solutions’ chaired and with a keynote address by Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, Glasgow City Council

Smart cities across Scotland: Projects, vision, issues being tackled - Rob Pederson, City Architect from Dundee City Council speaking on behalf of the Scottish Cities Alliance

Engaging the nation with the smart meter rollout and exploring the benefits of the rollout to the nation - Ed Rees, Policy and Public Affairs Officer, Smart Energy GB

Smart and sustainable cities in the developing world - Richard Bellingham, Director, Institute for Future Cities, University of Strathclyde

Decarbonisation figures prominently in other sessions too – the three session ‘Energy systems’ track; ‘Positive steps towards onsite industry decarbonisation’ organised In association with the University of Strathclyde; and throughout the low carbon heating track. The full conference programme, which features well over 400 speakers over the two days, is online at www.all-energy.co.uk

Strong support

All-Energy and the co-located Smart Urban Mobility Solutions are owned and organised by Reed Exhibitions. In addition to Shepherd and Wedderburn other sponsors include the Crown Estate Scotland, Element Power, Greenbackers Investment Capital, Innovate UK, ScottishPower Renewables and WPO.

All-Energy is supported by a large number of trade associations, government departments, professional bodies and learned societies, and is held in association with the Renewable Energy Association; Highlands and Islands Enterprise; Scottish Enterprise; Innovate UK; Sustainable Glasgow; and the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG), with Glasgow as its Host City, and the Society for Underwater Technology as Learned Society Patron.